Molecules of lead trap uranium radiation, essentially blocking radiation from appreciably penetrating the lead. That lead traps radioactivity is well known conventionally. U.S. federal safety standards set forth regulations governing nuclear medicine and radiology departments of hospitals. For instance, the transport of nuclear medicine to and from a radiology department at a hospital may be in a lead pig whose dimension and construction must meet federal safety requirements to prevent unacceptable levels of radiation exposure to handlers of the lead pig. Personnel in radiology departments wear lead aprons to protect themselves from excessive exposure to radiation in their working environment. Lead walls are provided to isolate cobalt cancer treatment machines and diagnostic X-ray machines. Therefore, lead has proven to be an effective barrier against radiation exposure to prevent the penetration of the radiation through the lead.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA):                Radioactive sources are used throughout the world for a wide variety of peaceful and productive purposes in industry, medicine, research and education, and in military applications. These sources utilize radioactive materials that are firmly contained or bound within a suitable capsule or housing; although some sources involve radioactive materials in an unsealed form.        Until the 1950s, only radionuclides of natural origin, particularly radium-226, were generally available for sources. Since then, radionuclides produced artificially in nuclear facilities and accelerators have become widely available, including cobalt-60, strontium-90, caesium-137 and iridium-192.        
The present inventor notes that uranium 235 should be mentioned.                Millions of radioactive sources have been distributed worldwide over the past 50 years, with hundreds of thousands currently being used, stored, and produced. Worldwide, the IAEA has reported on specific applications: more than 10,000 radiotherapy units for medical care are in use; about 12,000 industrial sources for radiography are supplied annually; and about 300 irradiator facilities containing radioactive sources for industrial applications are in operation.        If spent nuclear fuel is to be reprocessed, the fuel elements and fuel rods are chopped into pieces, the pieces are chemically dissolved, and the resulting solution is separated into uranium, plutonium, high level waste (HLW), and various other process wastes.        
According to Dr. Frank Settle, “Nuclear Chemistry Recycling Spent Reactor Fuel’, published online by Chemcases.com at http://www.chemcases.com/nuclear/nc-13.html                Three options are available for cooled spent fuel rods; they can remain at the sites from which they have been removed from service, be moved to a more permanent site for storage or they can be reprocessed to remove the uranium and plutonium. In either case, these fuel rods must cool in storage ponds near the reactor for several months in order to reduce their short-lived radioactivity and to allow them to dissipate their initial high thermal energy. Reprocessing involves chopping up the fuel rods and dissolving the pieces. The plutonium and uranium are then removed and chemically separated. The byproducts of reprocessing, transuranic elements and fission products can be encapsulated in glass and disposed as waste.        
The online encyclopedia Widipedia mentions the following nuclear waste techniques: Vitrification, Ion Exchange, Synroc.                Vitrification: Long-term storage of radioactive waste requires the stabilization of the waste into a form which will neither react nor degrade for extended periods of time. One way to do this is through vitrification. M. I. Ojovan, W. E. Lee. An Introduction to Nuclear Waste Immobilisation, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 315 pp. (2005).        Currently at Sellafield (a nuclear processing site close to the village of Seascale on the cost of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England), the high-level waste (PUREX (plutonium uranium extraction based on liquid-liquid extraction ion-exchange) first cycle raffinate (a liquid stream that remains after the extraction with the immiscible liquid to remove soutes from the original liquor)) is mixed with sugar and then calcined. Calcination involves passing the waste through a heated, rotating tube. The purposes of calcination are to evaporate the water from the waste, and de-nitrate the fission products to assist the stability of the glass produced. National Research Council (1996). Nuclear Wastes: Technologies for Separation and Transmutation. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press.        The ‘calcine’ generated is fed continuously into an induction heated furnace with fragmented glass. “Laboratory-scale vitrification and leaching of high-level waste for the purpose of simulant and glass and glass property models validation.” Retrieved 2009 Jul. 7.        The resulting glass is a new substance in which the waste products are bonded into the glass matrix when it solidifies. This product, as a melt, is poured into stainless steel cylindrical containers (“cylinders”) in a batch process. When cooled, the fluid solidifies (“vitrifies”) into the glass. Such glass, after being formed, is highly resistant to water. Ojovanm M. I. et al. (2006). “Corrosion of nuclear waste glasses in non-saturated conditions: Time-Temperature behaviour” (PDF). Retrieved 2008 Jun. 30.        After filling a cylinder, a seal is welded onto the cylinder. The cylinder is then washed. After being inspected for external contamination, the steel cylinder is stored, usually in an underground repository. In this form, the waste products are expected to be immobilized for a long period of time (many thousands of years). OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (1994). The Economics of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle. Paris: OECD Nuclear Energy Agency.        The glass inside a cylinder is usually a black glossy substance. All this work (in the United Kingdom) is done using hot cell systems (shielded nuclear radiation containment chambers). The sugar is added to control the ruthenium chemistry and to stop the formation of the volatile RuO4 containing radio ruthenium. In the west, the glass is normally a borosilicate glass (similar to Pyrex), while in the former Soviet bloc it is normal to use a phosphate glass. The amount of fission products in the glass must be limited because some (palladium, the other Pt group metals, and tellurium) tend to form metallic phases which separate from the glass. Bulk vitrification uses electrodes to melt soil and wastes, which are then buried underground. “Waste Form Release Calculations for the 2005 Integrated Disposal Facility Performance Assessment” (PDF). PNNL-15198. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. July 2005. Retrieved 2006 Nov. 8. In Germany a vitrification plant is in use; this is treating the waste from a small demonstration reprocessing plant which has since been closed down. National Research Council (1996). Nuclear Wastes: Technologies for Separation and Transmutation. Washington D.C.: National Academy Press; Hensing, I., and W. Schultz (1995). Economic Comparison of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options. Cologne: Energiewirtschaftlichen Instituts.        Ion Exchange: It is common for medium active wastes in the nuclear industry to be treated with ion exchange or other means to concentrate the radioactivity into a small volume. The much less radioactive bulk (after treatment) is often then discharged. For instance, it is possible to use a ferric hydroxide floc to remove radioactive metals from aqueous mixtures. http://www.euronuclear.org/info/encyclopedia/w/waste-processing.htm.        After the radioisotopes are absorbed onto the ferric hydroxide, the resulting sludge can be placed in a metal drum before being mixed with cement to form a solid waste form. Wilmarth, Mill, Dukes, “Removal of Silicon from High Level Waste Streams via Ferric Flocculation”, Westinghouse Savannah River Company        In order to get better long-term performance (mechanical stability) from such forms, they may be made from a mixture of fly ash, or blast furnace slag, and Portland cement, instead of normal concrete (made with Portland cement, gravel and sand).        Synroc: The Australian Synroc (synthetic rock) is a more sophisticated way to immobilize such waste, and this process may eventually come into commercial use for civil wastes (it is currently being developed for US military wastes). Synroc was invented by the late Prof Ted Ringwood (a geochemist) at the Australian National University. World Nuclear Association, Synroc, Nuclear Issues Briefing Paper 21. Retrieved January 2009.        The Synroc contains pyrochlore and cryptomelane type minerals. The original form of Synroc (Synroc C) was designed for the liquid high level waste (PUREX raffinate) from a light water reactor. The main minerals in this Synroc are hollandite (BaAl2Ti6O16), zirconolite (CaZrTi2O7) and perovskite (CaTiO3). The zirconolite and perovskite are hosts for the actinides. The strontium and barium will be fixed in the perovskite. The caesium will be fixed in the hollandite.        
According to US patent application publication no. 2002/0122525:                [A]spent nuclear fuel storage pool . . . is designed to hold racks for storage of both fresh and spent nuclear fuel and other reactor components. When the nuclear reactor is refueled, the fresh fuel replaces a portion of the spent fuel in the reactor core and the spent fuel from the core is stored in the spent fuel storage pool. During refueling, the spent fuel pool is in fluid communication with the reactor vessel, and both the pool and the core as well as the area above the core are kept flooded with water. The water serves two functions. It acts as a radiation shield between the highly radioactive spent fuel and those who are refueling the core and as a coolant to absorb the heat of the radioactively decaying isotopes in the spent fuel. During routine operation of the power plant, this water will pick up contaminants, crud, and particulates.        
According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,879:                Nuclear fuel assemblies for powering nuclear reactors generally consist of large numbers of fuel rods contained in discrete fuel rod assemblies. These assemblies or cells generally consist of a bottom end fitting or nozzle, a plurality of fuel rods extending upwardly therefrom and spaced from each other in a square or triangular pitch configuration, spacer grids situated periodically along the length of the assembly for support and orientation of the fuel rods, often a plurality of control guide tubes interspersed throughout the rod assembly, and a top end fitting or cap. Moreover, the assembly is installed and removed from the reactor as a unit.        When the nuclear fuel rods have expended a large amount of their available energy, the fuel rods are considered to be “spent,” and the fuel rod assembly is pulled from the reactor and temporarily stored in an adjacent pool until the assemblies are transported to a reprocessing center or to permanent or temporary storage. Even though the rods are considered “spent,” they are still highly radioactive and constitute a very real hazard both to personnel and to property.        In general, there are a number of alternatives available for disposition of the radioactive spent fuel rods, none of which is totally satisfactory. The fuel rod assemblies can be enclosed in a suitable basket and cask arrangement and transported to a storage facility, or possibly, to a reprocessing plant. A second alternative is to store the spent fuel in a dry storage system. Dry storage entails either the use of a large number of metal casks or the building of massive concrete containers either above or below ground, which is a very expensive process, and, where the storage system is above ground, it is often not acceptable to people living or working in its vicinity. A third alternative is the storage of the fuel units in the existing water pool originally designed for temporary storage. This type of storage is the simplest and cheapest, since the fuel rod assemblies can remain in the pool and be left there until the appropriate governmental agency or other agency collects them, often at the end of the life of the nuclear plant. However, such storage pools have a limited capacity, and, where they are adjacent to the nuclear reactor, necessitate the construction of a new pool when one becomes full.        Numerous attempts have been made to increase the capacity of a pool through a process known as fuel rod compaction or consolidation. This process, in brief, comprises removing the fuel rods from each fuel rod assembly and placing them in a storage canister where they are placed in rows with minimal spacing. It is possible, with this process, to place the fuel rods from two or more fuel assemblies into a single storage canister, thereby achieving approximately a 2:1 reduction in required pool volume, or, conversely, a 2:1 increase in pool storage capacity. However, successful consolidation has been an elusive goal for a number of reasons. Inasmuch as the pools are approximately forty feet deep, and inasmuch as the rods must remain immersed in the water at all times, all of the consolidation operations must be performed under the shield and cooling water. In addition, even though the rods are kept under water, the process could be quite hazardous to personnel performing the operation.        Prior art arrangements for achieving rod consolidation have included a system whereby the rods are pulled out row-by-row, as in, for example, a 14.times.14 matrix of rods, lifted and deposited in a tapered interim storage container, which tapers from a large area top opening to a bottom that has the area of a storage canister. After the intermediate container has the rods from approximately two fuel assemblies deposited therein, the intermediate container is placed over a storage canister, the bottom plate of the tapered container is lowered to cause the rods to slide into the storage canister. If the rods jam or stick, as they often do, they must be pushed from above the pool by operators using long rods. This last operation is made more difficult in that the rods develop on their outside surfaces what is referred to in the trade as “crud”. When the fuel rods are pulled, this radioactive crud is scraped off and clouds the water making it difficult for the operators to see what they are doing and contaminating the pool. The method just described has proven to be quite slow and complicated, and can be hazardous to personnel.        Another problem associated with nuclear fuel rod consolidation is the disposal of spacer grids situated in the nuclear fuel rod assemblies for supporting the fuel rods and for maintaining the spacing between the fuel rods. The spacer grids are generally rigid metallic material, and there are usually about seven spacer grids in each rod assembly, or as few as three in gas cooled reactor fuel elements. Conventionally, during the process of fuel rod consolidation, the spacer grids have been crushed by a compactor in the pool, and the crushed remains are then placed in a storage canister. Oftentimes, the compactor has a first ram for crushing the spacer grid in a first direction and a second ram for crushing the spacer grid in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first. As a result, the spacer grids are compacted into a rectangular block which are discarded somewhere in the storage canisters.        However, crushing the spacer grids has been problematic in the art. During the crushing process, the rigid spacer grids break up and/or shatter, resulting in jamming of the compactor rams and creating a contamination problem in the surrounding pool area. Furthermore, the compactor ram surfaces which come in direct contact with the spacer grids during crushing operation become radioactively contaminated and must be disposed of in the storage canisters. Hence, the disposal and consolidation problem is further compounded.        Radiation shielding is known. For instance, the Global Spec website provides the following excerpt at http://www.globalspec.com/LearnMore/Materials_Chemicals_Adhesives/Electrical_Optical_Specialty_Materials/Radiation_Shielding: Radiation shielding is used to block or attenuate the intensity of alpha particles (helium atoms), beta particles (electrons), X-ray radiation, and gamma radiation (energetic electromagnetic radiation). It reduces the intensity of incident radiation by introducing a radiation-absorbing medium. The material and thickness of the radiation shield determine its effectiveness. Specifications for radiation shielding include material (e.g., lead, tungsten), thickness, purity of material (99.94% lead, etc.), and rated energy range of radiation blocked or attenuated (100 to 300 keV). Features (such as liquid-cooling) and applications are also important to consider. Many radiation protection products are listed or approved by organizations such Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Underwriters Laboratories Canada (ULC). There are many types of radiation shielding. Most products are made of lead, a bluish-white, high-density, heavy metal that can effectively attenuate alpha rays, gamma rays, and X-rays. Lead shielding is a type of radiation shielding that includes lead aprons, lead barriers, lead-lined blankets, lead bricks, lead curtains, lead-lined cabinets, lead-lined doors, and rolled lead sheet. Lead aprons are protective garments worn by medical personnel and patients during X-ray procedures. Lead barriers and lead blankets are used to cover patients or medical equipment. Lead bricks are used for both positron emission tomography (PET) shielding and linear accelerator shielding. These radiation shielding products are also used in gamma knife rooms and in high dynamic range (HDR) imaging. Lead is also used in radiation shielding products such as lead curtains, lead-lined cabinets, lead-lined doors, and rolled lead sheet. Lead curtains are lined with vinyl and designed for use in medical facilities where secondary or low-level radiation is present. Lead-lined curtains may come equipped with a track and trolleys. Lead-lined cabinets and other lead-lined laboratory furniture are designed to store radioactive material and other radioactive inventory. Lead-lined doors are faced with wood, but have a thick layer of lead sheeting in the center. Rolled lead sheet is formed by moving a slab of refined lead between the rollers of a rolling mill. After the sheet is cut to size, the rolled lead is packed and shipped to suppliers of radiation shielding for use in various products.        Although it used in many types of radiation shielding, lead is ineffective against the high-energy electrons present in beta radiation and neutron radiation. Consequently, high-energy shielding is required in some medical and laboratory applications. For example, high-energy shielded decay drums are used to store high-energy radiopharmaceuticals. Nuclear medicine supplies and accessories also include X-ray shielding glass, a mirror-polished and scratch-resistant barium-type lead glass that is used in airports and other facilities that perform radiation screening.        
The present inventor notes that beta radiation is from protons, not electrons. Lead serves as shielding material as lead is a stable, heavy metal of the periodic table with many electron orbits. There is room in the lead atom for the electrons to receive radiation energy and shift between the orbits in response to this energy, which ends up dissipated.
Therefore, it would be desirable to neutralize the radioactivity in hazardous waste by lessening its concentration and shielding it sufficiently so that it no longer remains potentially hazardous to those who might become exposed.